KeyesLabs is excited to release an experimental application, called State of the Union 2011, that is intended to explore the combination of TV and mobile computing devices. Available immediately on the Google Android Market the app is designed to enhance the viewing experience for those who watch the State of the Union Address.

This is an unusual application in that it has a life span of about one hour. It is designed for use during the State of the Union Address, which typically lasts somewhere between thirty and ninety minutes. During that time we're hoping to gather some really interesting information about how mobile devices can enhance and augment the television viewing experience...

The exciting aspect of the concept is that of a mobile application working in lock-step with content being viewed by a large number of consumers. Our Android app will allow users to register their real-time sentiment of what is being said by President Obama, while at the same time seeing the overall feelings of the rest of the community of users.

Additionally, there will be constantly updated "factoids" related to what the president is currently discussing, allowing users to further explore the topics and do their own fact checking.

While all participation is anonymous, we will be collecting coarse-grained (city-level) location data, as well as detailed timings. In the weeks following the address, our plan is to analyze this information to produce what we expect will be some fascinating insights into the public's reaction to the speech. Which moment of the speech was most liked by Republicans? Which states liked which topics most?

It's worth reiterating the experimental nature of this endeavor. We've done our best to prepare, but it's difficult to estimate the level of participation that will ultimately occur. Needless to say, we've got our Google App Engine account funded up and ready to go, and we're anxiously awaiting Tuesday night!